top 250 idioms and phrases

 

1. Break the ice – To initiate a conversation in a social setting.
2. Burn the midnight oil – To work late into the night.
3. Cry over spilt milk – To lament something that cannot be undone.
4. Cut corners – To do something in the easiest or cheapest way.
5. In a nutshell – To summarize briefly.
6. Kill two birds with one stone – To achieve two objectives with a single action.
7. A blessing in disguise – Something that seems bad but turns out good.
8. Hit the nail on the head – To describe exactly what is causing a situation.
9. A penny for your thoughts – A way of asking what someone is thinking.
10. At the drop of a hat – Without any hesitation; instantly.
11. Let the cat out of the bag – To reveal a secret unintentionally.
12. Make a face – To show dislike or disappointment through facial expression.
13. Open Pandora’s box – To start something that leads to many unforeseen problems.
14. It’s Greek to me – Something not understandable.
15. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket – Don’t risk everything on a single venture.
16. To call a spade a spade – To speak frankly and directly.
17. To be a Good Samaritan – To help someone in need selflessly.
18. To put in a nutshell – To describe something concisely.
19. Face the music – To confront the consequences of one's actions.
20. Flogging a dead horse – To waste effort on something that has no chance of success.
21. Fit like a glove – To fit perfectly.
22. Fish in troubled waters – To take advantage of a chaotic situation.
23. Feather in one’s cap – An achievement to be proud of.
24. Fight tooth and nail – To fight fiercely.
25. Get cold feet – To become nervous or hesitant.
26. Down in the dumps – Feeling sad or depressed.
27. Dot one’s i’s and cross one’s t’s – To be meticulous and thorough.
28. All moonshine – Something that is not true; nonsense.
29. Wild goose chase – A futile pursuit.
30. Swan song – A final performance or effort.
31. By the skin of one's teeth – Barely succeeding in doing something.
32. Bury the hatchet – To make peace.
33. Flies off at a tangent – Suddenly changes the subject.
34. Batten down the hatches – Prepare for trouble.
35. Nail one’s colours to the mast – To be firm in one's beliefs.
36. All might and main – With full strength.
37. An open book – Someone easy to understand.
38. A closed book – Someone difficult to understand.
39. A man of letters – A scholarly or literary person.
40. A house of cards – A structure or argument built on a shaky foundation.
41. End in smoke – To come to nothing.
42. Beat around the bush – To avoid the main topic.
43. Get your act together – To organize yourself.
44. Hit the sack – To go to bed.
45. Your guess is as good as mine – I do not know.
46. Good things come to those who wait – Patience is rewarded.
47. Back against the wall – In a difficult situation.
48. Up in arms – Angry or upset.
49. Scrape the barrel – To use something because nothing better is available.
50. Burn your boats/bridges – To make a decision that cannot be changed.
51. Break new ground – To do something innovative.
52. Sell like hot cakes – To sell quickly.
53. Run around in circles – To do a lot but achieve little.
54. On cloud nine – Extremely happy.
55. Left out in the cold – Ignored or excluded.
56. Blow hot and cold – To be inconsistent.
57. Boil the ocean – To undertake an impossible task.
58. Keep an ear to the ground – To stay informed.
59. Eat like a horse – To eat a lot.
60. A snowball effect – A situation that builds upon itself.
61. Make a long story short – To summarize.
62. Miss the boat – To miss an opportunity.
63. No pain, no gain – Effort is required to achieve something.
64. On the ball – Alert and knowledgeable.
65. Pull someone’s leg – To joke with someone.
66. Pull yourself together – To calm down.
67. So far so good – Things are going well up to now.
68. Speak of the devil – The person we were just talking about has appeared.
69. That’s the last straw – The final problem in a series.
70. The best of both worlds – An ideal situation.
71. Time flies when you’re having fun – Time seems to pass quickly when you're enjoying yourself.
72. To get bent out of shape – To get upset.
73. To make matters worse – To make a problem worse.
74. Under the weather – Feeling ill.
75. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it – Deal with a problem when it arises.
76. Wrap your head around something – Understand something complex.
77. A dime a dozen – Something common.
78. Better late than never – It's better to do something late than not at all.
79. Bite the bullet – To endure a painful experience.
80. Break a leg – Good luck.
81. Call it a day – To stop working on something.
82. Cut somebody some slack – Don't be so critical.
83. Easy does it – Slow down.
84. Get out of hand – Get out of control.
85. Get something out of your system – Do something you've been wanting to do.
86. Give someone the benefit of the doubt – Trust what someone says.
87. Go back to the drawing board – Start over.
88. Hang in there – Don't give up.
89. Hit the books – To study.
90. Let someone off the hook – To not hold someone responsible.
91. Make a run for it – To attempt to escape.

92.  On thin ice – In a risky situation
93. Out of the blue – Unexpectedly
94. Out of the woods – Out of danger
95. Over the moon – Extremely happy
96. Play it by ear – To improvise
97. Put all your eggs in one basket – Rely on one plan only
98. Put your money where your mouth is – Support what you say with action
99. Raining cats and dogs – Raining heavily
100. Read between the lines – Understand the hidden meaning
101. Rock the boat – Cause trouble in a stable situation
102. Save for a rainy day – Save money for future need
103. See eye to eye – Agree completely
104. Show your true colors – Reveal your real personality
105. Spill the beans – Reveal a secret
106. Steal someone’s thunder – Take credit for someone else’s idea
107. Take a back seat – Take a less active role
108. Take it with a grain of salt – Don’t take it too seriously
109. Take the bull by the horns – Face a problem boldly
110. The ball is in your court – It’s your decision
111. The elephant in the room – An obvious problem that people avoid
112. The icing on the cake – Something that makes a good situation even better
113. Throw in the towel – To give up
114. Tie the knot – To get married
115. Turn a blind eye – To ignore something intentionally
116. Under your nose – In an obvious place
117. Up in the air – Uncertain
118. Water under the bridge – Past event that is no longer important
119. When pigs fly – Something that will never happen
120. You can't judge a book by its cover – Don’t judge based on appearance
121. Zip your lip – Keep a secret
122. At one’s wit’s end – Very frustrated
123. Barking up the wrong tree – Accusing the wrong person
124. Behind closed doors – In private
125. Bite off more than one can chew – Take on too much
126. Blow one’s own trumpet – Boast
127. Call the shots – Make the decisions
128. Come rain or shine – No matter what
129. Cross one’s mind – Come to one’s thoughts
130. Dig in your heels – Refuse to change your opinion
131. Drag one’s feet – Delay unnecessarily
132. Drive someone up the wall – Annoy someone greatly
133. Fall on deaf ears – Be ignored
134. Get a taste of your own medicine – Get treated the way you treat others
135. Give someone the cold shoulder – Ignore someone
136. Go down in flames – Fail spectacularly
137. Have a bone to pick – Have a complaint
138. Have butterflies in your stomach – Be nervous
139. Hit the jackpot – Have great success
140. In the same boat – In the same difficult situation
141. Jump on the bandwagon – Join a popular trend
142. Keep something at bay – Prevent something
143. Know the ropes – Be experienced
144. Leave no stone unturned – Try everything possible
145. Make ends meet – Earn just enough money
146. Off the hook – Free from blame or trouble
147. On pins and needles – Anxious
148. Out of the frying pan into the fire – From a bad situation to worse
149. Play devil’s advocate – Argue for the sake of argument
150. Pull the plug – Stop something
151. Put the cart before the horse – Do things in the wrong order
152. Ring a bell – Sound familiar
153. Run-of-the-mill – Ordinary
154. See the writing on the wall – Expect something bad
155. Smell a rat – Suspect something is wrong
156. Stick to your guns – Hold your position
157. The tip of the iceberg – Small part of a bigger issue
158. Throw caution to the wind – Be reckless
159. Turn the tables – Reverse the situation
160. Twist someone’s arm – Persuade forcefully
161. Walk on eggshells – Be very cautious
162. A hot potato – A sensitive issue
163. Add fuel to the fire – Make a problem worse
164. All bark and no bite – Threatening but harmless
165. All in the same boat – Facing the same challenge
166. Apple of one’s eye – Someone very precious
167. Back to square one – Start over
168. Be in hot water – Be in trouble
169. Be on cloud nine – Very happy
170. Beat the clock – Finish before time
171. Blow off steam – Release stress
172. Break the bank – Spend too much
173. Bring home the bacon – Earn a living
174. By hook or by crook – By any means
175. Cast in stone – Permanent
176. Come to grips with – Accept and deal with
177. Cut the mustard – Meet expectations
178. Don't cry wolf – Don’t give false alarms
179. Every cloud has a silver lining – There is good in bad situations
180. Get ducks in a row – Get organized
181. Get the show on the road – Start an activity
182. Go the extra mile – Put in extra effort
183. Have an axe to grind – Have a selfish reason
184. In the heat of the moment – Overwhelmed by emotions
185. Jump the gun – Start too early
186. Keep your chin up – Stay strong
187. Know the drill – Know what to do
188. Let the dust settle – Let things calm down
189. Live and let live – Be tolerant
190. Lose your marbles – Go crazy
191. Make a mountain out of a molehill – Exaggerate
192. Not playing with a full deck – Mentally unstable
193. Off one’s rocker – Crazy
194. On the fence – Undecided
195. Out of sorts – Unwell or upset
196. Pass the buck – Shift responsibility
197. Put your foot in your mouth – Say something embarrassing
198. Read someone the riot act – Give a strong warning
199. Run on fumes – Function with little energy
200. Sleep on it – Delay a decision
201. Take it easy – Relax
202. Talk turkey – Speak frankly
203. The coast is clear – No danger is present
204. To each their own – Everyone has different preferences
205. Touch and go – Uncertain
206. Under the radar – Without attracting notice
207. Watch your back – Be cautious
208. A ballpark figure – Rough estimate
209. A storm in a teacup – Exaggerated reaction
210. Be in the driver’s seat – In control
211. Be second to none – The best
212. Call it quits – Stop an activity
213. Do a double take – Look again in surprise
214. Get wind of – Hear a rumor
215. Give someone a run for their money – Compete strongly
216. Go down the drain – Wasted
217. Have a finger in every pie – Be involved in many things
218. Hit the roof – Become very angry
219. Keep a low profile – Avoid attention
220. Learn the ropes – Learn how to do a job
221. Make light of – Treat as unimportant
222. Nip something in the bud – Stop early
223. On tenterhooks – Anxious and nervous
224. Paint the town red – Celebrate wildly
225. Put two and two together – Understand something logically
226. Rest on one’s laurels – Be complacent
227. Shoot yourself in the foot – Harm yourself unintentionally
228. Stick your neck out – Take a risk
229. Take someone to task – Criticize strongly
230. Think on your feet – Respond quickly
231. Turn over a new leaf – Start fresh
232. Walk a tightrope – Be in a difficult situation
233. Weather the storm – Survive a crisis
234. A shot in the dark – A wild guess
235. A tough nut to crack – A difficult problem
236. At the eleventh hour – At the last moment
237. Beat a hasty retreat – Leave quickly
238. Behind the scenes – In private
239. Come full circle – Return to the original position
240. Cut to the chase – Get to the point
241. For the birds – Useless
242. Hit below the belt – Act unfairly
243. If the shoe fits, wear it – Accept the truth
244. Jump for joy – Be very happy
245. Keep your eyes peeled – Be alert
246. Let sleeping dogs lie – Avoid restarting old issues
247. On a shoestring – On a tight budget
248. Put a sock in it – Be quiet
249. Sink or swim – Succeed or fail without help
250. The pot calling the kettle black – Criticizing someone for a fault you have too

251. A hot potato – A controversial or difficult issue.
252. A penny for your thoughts – Asking someone what they are thinking.
253. Actions speak louder than words – What someone does means more than what they say.
254. Add insult to injury – To make a bad situation worse.
255. An arm and a leg – Very expensive.
256. Bite the bullet – To endure a painful experience or to face a difficult situation with courage.
257. Break the ice – To initiate conversation in a social setting.
258. Burn the midnight oil – To work late into the night.
259. Cry over spilt milk – To be upset about something that cannot be undone.
260. Cut corners – To do something in the easiest or cheapest way, often sacrificing quality.